The core will provide services that include design and synthesis of oligonucleotides for PCR analysis, development of multiplex protocols for genetic marker genotyping, and growth of plasmids, cosmids, or yeast strains (containing yeast artificial chromosomes) for use in the scientific projects. Each of these is an essential service required by multiple projects that will have to be duplicated, at considerable cost, in the absence of the core. This core will interact with all four projects and will provide significant cost savings by centralizing these services. c:\john\ja726